French Prime Minister Michel Barnier presented his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron

The French Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, presented his resignation this Thursday to the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, who accepted it while asking him to continue taking care of current affairs until a replacement is appointed, the Elysée indicated.

Barnier’s resignation was a consequence of his government’s defeat on Wednesday in a motion of no confidence presented by the bloc of left-wing parties and which was supported by Marine Le Pen’s far-right.

“Michel Barnier guarantees, with the members of his Government, the treatment of current affairs until the appointment of a new Government,” the Elysée said in a statement.

The now acting prime minister held a one-hour meeting with the French president in which he presented his resignation.

Macron continues his negotiations to find a replacement for Barnier, deposed three months after his appointment, making him the most short-lived French prime minister since the Second World War.

The French president, who will address his fellow citizens tonight in prime time, is in contact with several personalities to seek a way out of this crisis.

He has held meetings with the president of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, who this Thursday in a radio interview urged him to quickly name Barnier’s replacement.

Later, Macron will meet with Gérard Lacher, president of the Senate, a chamber that has a conservative majority.

Meanwhile, Elysée sources indicated that Macron had a lunch with his centrist ally François Bayrou, one of the favorites to occupy the position of prime minister.

Along with him is the current Minister of Defense, Sébastian Lecornu, a faithful Macronist and the only one who has remained in office since the president’s arrival at the Elysée in 2017, or the head of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, representative of the most conservative wing of the traditional right.

Former socialist prime minister Bernard Cazeneuve also appears, who was already mentioned as a candidate last September.

In the last few hours, other names have joined in, such as former European commissioner Thierry Breton or former conservative minister François Baroin.